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arXiv · 1309.0917

Bending-Induced Delamination of van der Waals Solids

Pekka Koskinen
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Abstract

Although sheets of layered van der Waals solids offer great opportunities to custom-design nanomaterial properties, their weak interlayer adhesion challenges structural stability against mechanical deformation. Here, bending-induced delamination of multilayer sheets is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations, using graphene as an archetypal van der Waals solid. Simulations show that delamination of a graphene sheet occurs when its radius of curvature decreases roughly below $R_c=5.3\text{nm}\times (\text{number of layers})^{3/2}$ and that, as a rule, one-third of the layers get delaminated. These clear results are explained by a general and transparent model, a useful future reference for guiding the design of nanostructured van der Waals solids.

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Pekka Koskinen. 2013-09-04. Bending-Induced Delamination of van der Waals Solids. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984%2F25%2F39%2F395303

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